Putting hands-on into online at CCC

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Coconino Community College Biology Faculty Melinda McKinney checks off the items she puts into the cardboard box.

There is a scale, a microscope, pH test strips, seeds, rulers, soil and more.

After the boxes are packed, many of them will be mailed off to students in her BIO 105: Environmental Biology course.

“It’s the first time we’re offering this course online,” McKinney said. “So, all students will be receiving a lab kit.”

The course, which covers basic concepts of ecology and the importance of human interaction with the natural ecosystem, includes lab time. McKinney said that in spite of the course being online, it is still important for the students to get hands-on time with experimentation.

During the course of the semester, students will be conducting a number of experiments with the help of their kits, including soil analysis, studying thermodynamics, seed germination rates, and soil nutrient analysis among others.

The kits, one for every student enrolled in the course, are covered in the $60 lab fee, with no additional expense to the students, McKinney said. When possible, the students are asked to come to CCC to pick up their kits, but if they can’t, the kit will be mailed.

Kimberly Batty-Herbert, Dean of Arts and Sciences, said that online enrollment at CCC is increasing at a faster pace than in-person enrollments, and the BIO 105 course is part of the general science requirements for graduation. Often, students have full-time jobs and a host of other commitments while attending CCC, which makes attending in-person classes a challenge.

“We wanted to make it an option for our students seeking the convenience of online courses,” Batty-Herbert said.

For more information about BIO 105 and other courses available at CCC, visit www.coconino.edu.